Unusual looking fox

[Ana Bluebird]

Around here lives a fox that doesn't look like an ordinary fox, but it's definitely a fox. It's larger than most, it's brownish, grayish, reddish in various areas around it's body. It's not much afraid of people. One morning it spent hours eating something off the ground after a heavy rain. It hasn't bothered my hens yet, but I keep an eye on it. I've been told that sometimes a fox can cross with a coyote and that maybe that's what we have. We've tried getting a picture and sooner or later we will. Just never have the camera when we happen to get close enough. What do you think?

[Patti]

Sounds like a silver fox, but where do you live?

[Jagger]

BlueBird,
It sounds to me ,from your description that yuo have what is known as a cross-fox. A mutation between a red and a grey fox. They are very rare in some areas of the country and not so in other areas. I doubt if its a fox / coyote mix. The fox and the coyote are completely different in many aspects. I beleve they would not breed with each other. Make sure your chickens are penned up tight. One of the reasons that it may not fear humans is it might have been a pet or a training animal. I would be leary of it, i would never approach it.


Jagger

[Mike in Pa]

Silver fox are usually more solid colored ... silver/gray looking supposedly. I saw one jet black with white tipped tail ... was domesticated but got loose. When I saw this I researched them ... never saw another in the wild though.

Sounds like red or cross. Red can show some gray color too.

[big rockpile]

Coyotes will kill a Fox in a Heart beat !!!! Sure its not a Grey Fox with a lot of Red?

big rockpile

[Tracy Rimmer]

Ana -- I found a picture of a "cross fox" -- it's at this website...Is this what you've got??

http://www.ssimicro.com/~wildart/foxbee.htm

Tracy